Up-and-coming comic writer in El Paso today

Justin Jordan created the character of Luther Strode for two different series. They are illustrated by Tradd Moroe and Felip Sobreiro. Jordan will be at All Star Comics in El Paso today for a book signing.

It didn't take gamma rays or a radioactive spider bite to turn Justin Jordan from a comic book fan to a professional comic book writer.

Jordan became one of the emerging stars in comics two years ago as the creator-writer of the Image Comics breakout hit "The Strange Talent of Luther Strode," an ultra-violent tale of a teenager turned vigilante. Now he's writing four series for three publishers, including DC Comics, one of the prestige brands in the comic book world.

Jordan will have a meet-and-greet and book signing from 4 to 6 p.m. today at All Star Comics & Games, 4406 Dyer, something he lined up while spending a week visiting his boyhood friend, Army Maj. Richard A. Watkins, who is stationed at Fort Bliss.

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Daniel Borunda

Store owner Brad Wilson said it was a coup having an up-and-coming writer like Jordan stop by the store for a few hours.

"First of all, he's a professional writer for DC," Wilson said. "In comic terms, I like to use the analogy that it's like sports. He made it to the pros, the NFL or the major leagues."

Watkins goes into All Star to buy Jordan's comics, which is how the in-store event came about, Wilson said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we have him in the shop," Wilson added. "Five to 10 years from now he might get to a larger status and never come back."

Right now, he's a rising star in the industry, one to whom storytelling comes naturally.

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"I like telling stories. I think that's wired in my DNA," said Jordan, who is from rural Pennsylvania. "What I like about comics in particular is É you don't have to be beholden to a budget. Anything you can describe, you can put in a comic book."

In December, Jordan and artist Tradd Moore followed up the success of their first Luther Strode miniseries by launching a sequel, "The Legend of Luther Strode." The first Strode series helped him make the leap to publishing heavyweight DC Comics, where he wrote "Team 7," is currently penning "Deathstroke" and will take over "Superboy" with issue No. 20.

Last year, Jordan also wrote the relaunch of "Shadowman" for Valiant Entertainment.

Jordan, 34, said the inspiration for Strode's transformation from geeky teenager to muscular behemoth came in part from bodybuilding ads. "I'm old enough to remember when the Charles Atlas ads were in the comic books and other things saying that you could have basically get superpowers if your ordered this," Jordan said. "What if I did one of these things and got superpowers?"

With great power comes great trouble, to riff on the Spider-Man motto. Strode finds himself with enemies in a story that Jordan said parallels horror-movie slashers and superheroes who are outsiders in their own worlds.

Jordan has found challenges in writing about his own creations and writing for established characters.

"When you write a creator-owned book like 'Luther Strode,' you have no bounds," Jordan said.

"When you write a character like Deathstroke (a mercenary and one of the best-known anti-heroes in the DC Universe), you have to be mindful of what comes before. You have to keep in mind that they have their own history and their own fans and mind how they would feel about a character."

In college, Jordan initially planned to go into script writing, but he wonders whether his success in comic books was inevitable.

"I basically have always been into comics," Jordan said. "The first comic I can remember was before I could read. My mom would get me Popeye comics back then, when you could get comics at grocery stores and gas stations, which unfortunately isn't the case now.

"I started learning to read because my family could not keep up with my insatiable need for more comics," he said. "I have a 33-, 34-year relationship with the medium."

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102. Follow him on Twitter @BorundaDaniel.

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